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A Minnesota teenager has been arrested on accusations that he was plotting a mass shooting at the Mall of America. Federal prosecutors say the teen targeted the shopping center because it is owned by Jewish people. NPR's Juliana Kim reports.
JULIANA KIM, BYLINE: Eighteen-year-old Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud was arrested on Tuesday in Minnesota after federal authorities say the teenager tried to buy an assault rifle and 200 rounds of ammunition from an undercover agent in order to carry out an act of terrorism. FBI agent Christopher Dotson spoke about the arrest at a press conference yesterday.
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CHRISTOPHER DOTSON: Mohamud pledged his allegiance to ISIS leaders and claimed to have joined ISIS over a year ago. Mohamud allegedly sought martyrdom in carrying out his plans to murder innocent civilians.
KIM: Court documents say authorities began investigating Mohamud in December 2024. In messages with an undercover informant, the teenager allegedly said he was motivated by the mass shootings that occurred at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando and Bondi Beach in Australia. In July, he started planning his attack on the country's largest shopping center, the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, according to court documents. Investigators allege that Mohamud not only wanted to hurt others, he wanted to deter people from visiting the mall ever again. They also say he chose a date near the end of this month to target Asians at a Hmong arts event hosted at the mall. FBI agent Dotson said...
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DOTSON: One hundred percent committed. Those are the words Mohamud allegedly uttered when he described his planned jihad journey.
KIM: Federal authorities declined to say at the press conference how Mohamud was first put on their radar. Mohamud is a U.S.-born citizen, and his parents are from Somalia. U.S. attorney Daniel Rosen said FBI agents approached Mohamud's parents last year after the teenager sent concerning messages about wanting to commit an act of violence.
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DANIEL ROSEN: The FBI attempted to speak with his parents, having seen that this young man was becoming radicalized. And those attempts were rebuffed by the parents.
KIM: It was not immediately clear on Wednesday if Mohamud had legal representation.
Juliana Kim, NPR News.
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